Free school meals
Revenues and Benefits will no longer be dealing with free school meals from August 2026. The administration of free school meals for the academic year 2026/27 has been transferred to schools.
If you want to claim free school meals for the 2026/27 academic year, contact the school.
Income related free school meals
Your child can receive income related free school meals in any year at school. This includes nursery children if they attend before and after lunch at a local authority nursery school or nursery class.
If you receive any of the benefits below, you can claim free school meals.
- Employment Support Allowance Income related
- Support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Guaranteed Pension Credit
- Universal Credit - your earned income must be less than £7,400 a year
If your child receives free school meals, they will continue to receive them until the end of the 2025/26 school year. After this time, if you no longer meet the criteria, free school meals will end.
Sixth form colleges
If your child attends any of the sixth forms below, they can receive income related free school meals
- Turton
- Thornleigh
- Canon Slade
- Firwood and Rumworth
- Rivington and Blackrod
- Bolton St Catherine's Academy
- University Collegiate School (UTC)
If the sixth form is not listed above, you will need to contact the sixth form to receive free school meals.
People with no recourse to public funds
If you have no recourse to public funds and you have a child in school, you may also be entitled to free school meals.
Applying for free school meals for academic year 2025/26
You do not need to apply for free school meals if:
- you already receive or have recently applied for housing benefit or council tax support
- you have already applied for help with school uniforms, we will look at the free school meals at the same time and you do not need to apply separately
You need to apply for free school meals if:
- you do not receive housing benefit or council tax support
The same rules apply for those starting school or moving school.
Apply for free school meals for the academic year 2025/26 only
Asylum Seekers
If you are receiving support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 you must contact Achievement Cohesion and Integration Service (ACIS).